Manila moves will harm regional peace: Beijing

China urged the Philippines on Monday to stop pinning its hopes on "certain major power" in its challenge of China's maritime interests, saying any such attempt will fail and will eventually harm its own interests and regional peace.

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin made the remarks after Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr said in an interview on Saturday that "a more assertive China posed a real challenge to its neighbors in Asia".

Marcos said "the South China Sea situation is the most complex geopolitical challenge", and that the Philippines will "continue to forge strong alliances with like-minded allies".

Dismissing Marcos' remarks, Wang said it is the Philippines that should be responsible for the current tensions in the South China Sea.

The Philippines has breached the common understanding it has reached with China, Wang said, adding that it has attempted to change the status quo of Ren'ai Reef and courted external forces to put pressure on China.

The Philippines once made a pledge to tow away its warship illegally "grounded" at Ren'ai Reef, but has failed to deliver on the pledge for the past 24 years, Wang said.

China and the Philippines once worked together to maintain stability at sea by reaching a consensus over the handling of the issue of Ren'ai Reef, he said.

However, since this year, the Philippines has gone back on its promise by repeatedly sending official and military vessels to the waters of Ren'ai Reef in an attempt to supply construction materials to reinforce the "grounded" warship and permanently occupy the reef, the spokesman said.

Wang slammed the Philippines for "counting on external forces, brushing aside China's goodwill and restraint and repeatedly challenging China's principles and bottom line".

"China has always been committed to having dialogues and consultations with ASEAN countries, including the Philippines," Wang said.

"Meanwhile, China is firmly determined to safeguard its own territory, sovereignty and maritime interests."

"We hope the Philippines will realize that tying itself to certain major power and forcing China to back down on issues concerning China's core interests will lead nowhere," Wang said.